Spreader



April 18, 1933.

w. B. SIMPSON 1,904,989

SPREADER Filed Sept. 25, 1951 A Tra/@wey www WILLIAM B. srMrs-ON,v or QAMBELL, cnmroaninqf sPnnAnRf'f Application med september 2-, ,1931., sena; 'No.tssszf a This invention relates particularly. to means for spreading prunes, or other similar or spreadable material, upon trays.

It is one object of theinvention to provide a mechanically operated mechanism that will p receive a more or less Acontinuous stream of material `to Ibe spreadand distribute the same uniformly over a tray' or"` other surface without interveningspaces or pockets.

w It is another object of the invention to provide means for lcontrolling the movement of the tray or other device `upon which the material is being spread whereby to cooperate with the mechanism referred to, V'to secure positive and accurate spreadingiof the ma# terial, and to maintain successive trays inl their proper relationship. I

Itis also an object of the invention to provide means of the above indicated `character that will be economical to manufacture, simple in formtand construction, strong, durable, and'highly efficient inits practical application. f i y Y Y Y In the drawing:

l Figure 1 isa sideelevationcf a machine embodying my invention, partly 1n sectionV and parts' broken away." i Figure 2 is a section ronline 2-2 of Figure 1.

*Figure `3 is asectionlonline 3,-;3 of Fig- In the embodiment of the invention as herein disclosed, I show at' 1 a horizontally `disposed frame mounted upon legs 2. s

In one portion of the frame lare mounted a number of rolle-rs as 3 disposed in parallel relation to the plane of the frame and slightly below its upper edge, andtransversely there`V of. These rollers areidlers and permit a tray to moved easily thereon lengthwise of the frame, and at its discharge end. Y

Preceding rollers 3 and. at the receiving v endrof the frame are similarly mounted roll.

d ers t, but these rollers carry belts as 5v upon 4'? which the trays are placed and by means of which thesaid trays are moved forwardly. The belts 5 are driven vbybelt and pulley con'-A nections 6 and 7 to a drive shaft 8 which is driven by a suitable powerfunit notshowni 3 At9 is shown a platform enclosedon three sidesfbiitopen-atitsyforward end adsupl l i POrted on' resilient rvbrackets 10 mounted onV frame 1: Thefplatformis disposed immedi# Vately over theframein substantially parallel relationthereto, a shaking movement be` ing imparted theretobya pitman Vll'op'ers'ited by crankrlQ, and belt? andypulleyy connection 1a toY Shaft :81. .A 'Chute `14,ish-linger to plats v s 4 j form 9,'at l5 and supprnted,:byv an underlying f bracket 16.= i .l

`Tril@ fesait-trimsconsltenos is that .when

material, such l as prunes, is Adeposited: upon the platform, as from a chute 11"7,`l itis spread out in a single layer and.v moved forwardly .down over "the chute- 141by 'the shaking movement-'impartedto theiplatform where it llhe `lower` forward edgewlof chute 11?.-V isi supportedjby-bracketl 'alittle abovefthe bottom of? the-tray so that the 1' shaking?` movement prunes vforwardly* intoiclose contact.

of ",thefplatform I and chutejl'fpushes `the -V i eA-braking deviceis shown atl9pivotally i i mounted von frame-lat QOand having alinger i v-18ltoretardy its forward',mo'verr'entfwhende*` s sired to enable'tlielspreader'lplatform and 21 "adapted'to `be swung intocontactwith tray on the tray.

chutelt accurately distribute the prunes Assuming the structure tohave been assembled and` put into' operation as above described, a` tray 18l is placed upon the belts 5 which move it slowly forwardly upon rollers' 'Y i 8.' As this tray moves forward a second tray l l,

is placed behindit, and the Vtravelling belts move it forwardly and Vcause ittopush the first tray slowly beneathchute 14.r The fruit deposited upon tray 18 by the spreader mechanism is `pushed up against the front end of the tray in the manner described, and asthe tray advances' additional fruit is deposited thereonV and pushed up'closely against the fruit already positioned thereon.V If the fruit is flowing slowly the brake .19 is applied to .Q 5 slowdown the Vmovement of the tray until the space` immediately-in frontof the lspreader is l filled, whereupon itis released and the,v tray l allowed -to advance at a normal rate of speed.`

By means of this construction and mode of operationA each tray is filled l to its, utmost 1,904,989 v if; lj Lf 1 i 1" capaci-ity with great' economy in time `and labor. It is particularly advantageous when,l Y prunes are beingplacedupon the'trays for dryingin a dehydratonlbecau'se it Venables ythe K 5 operatorto handlea greater volumeof fruit 1n a given'spaoe, and lassures a more unifomy 1,5 rotate at their normal speed even thouglithe y passlpover'-thejtrayxends asftheypas's'therel l' throghfthemedim :of -therear'traytheir 'l `l d'7 Y til lthefforwardtray is lilled and removed;

L g5 speeiiic embodiment of my invention', Changes -Y s l ''Aimachineforspreadingfruitand similar vhaving:aidisohargeend communicatingwith bralrelrisfapplied"andthe trays-slowed down; j-,.'

' By-Ehingin'g the Chute :lllf lit ,-.W'illff readily under, and fbyipushing theE forwardjtmy opposing ends'are*maintained in. Contact unaV It is to beunderstoodyof. Course', that while o Ifhave-:ilierein shown and describedbntfone Y x inform5'-eonstrizction,and method of as'sem y blyandfopera'tioii may he made vvithinthe scope-ofthe`appendedclaim Y Y.

, Vnmaterial ;YCemprising,L :in recombination; `supr y'. Y

'v porting means,y f :ai tray mountedV l thereon; 'Ameansffor rrmovingr, the ytrayIcontinuously' fthe'reovel?Jagjreciprocating spreader chute mountedformovement longitudinallyxof-the, trayandadaptedl'to receive .the A'material'and y Y the-trayadjaoent .the bottomther'eof tofen l Y Vgagefthe`I material discharged on Eto th'e-Vv trayA Whena shaking movementiiS-appliefd to the 'i Y. l'

' menisinto lclose'rrel ationshipl chutewhereby to push the individual: ele'- 

